1786 



*ERYTHR6i\IUM grandifloium. 



Large American Dog^ s-tooth Violet. 



HEXANDRIA MO'NOGYKIA. 



Nat. ord. Liliace.'e, Juss. {Introduction to the Natural System of 

 Botany, p. 279.) 



ER YTHRONIUM,L,. — PeHanMn<mhexaphyllum,campanulatum,folio- 

 lis reflexis : petalis basi bituberculatis. Stamina bypogyna, tria longiora. Stylus 

 trigonus. Stigma 3-lobum v. 3-sulcatum. Capsula polysperma, loculicido- 



trivalvis. Semina ovata. Folia radicalia, gemma ; fiores speciosi ; scapi 



scBpius unijiori, nunc ramosi. 



E. grandiflorum ; foliis oblongo-lanceolatis subcomplicatis obtusls, periamhii 

 laciniis ovato-lanceolatis acuminatis fere ab ima basi reflexis, stigmate tri- 

 partite. 



E. grandiflorum. Pursh. Ji. am. sept. 1. 231. 



Species Erythroniis alteris americanis affinls sed valdc distincta. Ab 

 americano vulgari et Nuttalliaiio differ t foliis concavis impunctatis et stigmate 

 tripartito ; ab albido formd foliolorum perianthii diversissimd et stigmate 

 altiiis trifdo ; ab omnibus floribus duplb mujoribus intensius luteis, folioUs 

 ab imd basi fere reflexis. 



Of this extremely rare plant, a single bulb was received 

 by the Horticultural Society from Nortli West America 

 eight or nine years ago ; it has continued to grow slowly in 

 a peat border, and at last put forth its beautiful flowers last 

 May. It has not however produced any seed, and it will 

 probably be many years before it can possibly be distributed. 



Mr. Douglas, who discovered it, considered it the 

 Erythroniwn grandiflorum of Pursh; and we adopt his opinion, 

 although we confess ourselves unable to reconcile with ir tlu; 

 statement by that writer, that his plant has linear-lanceolate 

 leaves. 



* The common Dog's-tooth violet was tlie rrnrupioj' IpvQominr, or rrd Safy- 

 rion, of Dioscorides, and hence the latter word has been adopted by the moderns. 



h2 



